News Archive

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Formula To Beat 49ers Remains The Same
August 27 2002
By Bryan Hersh of 49ers Paradise
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The 49ers have lost three pre-season games this off-season, but only the play against the Raiders game was discouraging. But it wasnít the pounding that the team took from an aggressive defense that was most bothersome from the game Saturday night. What was the most bothersome is that the Raiders used the same formula to beat the 49ers that was used last season. The 49ers, in this game at least, were unable to shore up their weaknesses, and thus they were exploited.

The formula to beat the 49ers this season apparently is no different than it was last season. Put lots of pressure on the quarterback, disrupt the timing of the receivers, and keep enough men in the box to stop the run. Offensively it was just a matter of running a few play action fakes and trick plays. Voila the 49ers, a team trying to be a powerhouse of the NFL, can be beaten with the same exact method that was used last season.

The biggest difference between last season, and this season, is it took longer last season for the NFL to realize how to exploit the 49ers weaknesses. This game occurred in the off-season and already weaknesses are apparent.

Yes I am aware that this was just a pre-season match up, and really we canít evaluate the team based solely on that. But itís hard not to worry when the same weaknesses that plagued the 49ers last season, and kept them from advancing in the playoffs, are apparent this early in the off-season. Mariucci has to be able to adapt his team in order to beat this formula, otherwise the 49ers will be facing some very long Sundays this season.